Turku Castle, Turku

Very interesting castle. The interior design is contemporary and the ticket price is okay for the size. Interesting insight into the Middle Ages of Finland. There were a few families with small children on site, so it was certainly well suited for children. I don't recommended buying tickets in advance, cause there weren't lots of visitors.

We visited here on a weekend. We arrived a bit last minute, and didn’t have enough time to see all of the castle. There weren’t many guests left. Us and two other groups. Nevertheless, the castle is well preserved and I really liked the staff; Knowledgeable, polite and with a positive attitude. I advise to definitely have at least 2 hours of time, so you can relax and enjoy the place in peace. The tickets for adults are 12€, kids (7-15) 5€, under 7 are free. There’s also special family tickets etc, you can ask at the front desk. You may also use the museum card. If you’re a wheelchair user or have trouble walking, some areas may be impossible for you to access, while others a bit hard. There seems to be an elevator, which you can use to get to some parts, so not completely inaccessible.

Great place to get to know about history of the castle and the city. Absolutely love its historic atmosphere and the detailed guidance on the signs. I could easily wandered around designed 'tours' without a guide person. The exhibitions were amazing with lots of items displayed along with interesting notes about them. Just 3-km walk along Aura river to get there from the Cathedral. Highly recommend!!! (Idk why but on the day I got there, there were many families with small kids running around 😂, so probably it can be a nice place for family too)

Outside it is visually stunning, but though they claim it is dated back to 1280, the truth is, they remade virtually everything inside, with lots of craftmanship and skills in woodwork. The result is: it is not authentic anymore. I am based in the UK, and the local castles are breathing history at you. In case of Turun Linna it is a totally different concept of preserving heritage. It is used to host a very impressive museum and I enjoyed it very much, but it feels new. Still, highly recommended.

It is one of the tourist spots in Turku . It was initially built as a forward post in the thirteenth century . The place was then an island . Later the area joined up with the land . It later served as office , ammunition store & even as the Ducal palace . The checkered history of the castle is quite fascinating . It changed hands a few times between the Danes , the Swedes & the Russians . It was destroyed badly in the Russo Finnish war of 1939-40 . It was later restored over a period of several decades . The structure is bold but minimalistic . You don’t find the usual opulence of European castles . However it has been converted into an excellent museum . The museum not only houses the history of this castle but the history & culture of the Finns across centuries . It took us more than two hours just to stroll through all the rooms . Guides are available , there are downloadable audio apps , but one may or may not need them . The staff is friendly , we had a nice chat with one of them about the Finnish history of 20th century .